New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-23
FATAL COLLISION AT SEA.
WHITE STAB STEAMERS CRASH TO-
GETHER
THE BRITANNIC RUN DOWN BY THE CELTIC.
SEVERAL PEOPLE KILLED ON THE FoRnER
VESSEL.

|
HOLE KNOCKED IN HER PORT sIDE-IMMIGRANTs
KILLED BY FLYING DEDRIs-soME THOUGHT
TO DE DROwNED-THE CELTIC's BOWS
| STOVE IN-CoOLNEss OF THE OF
FICERs on BOTH STEAMSHIPS.
The White Star steamer Celtic with her bows
badly stove in; ber sister ship the Britannia, with
gaping hole in her port side and with her iron
plating for seventy five feet torn off and her rig
ging damaged. escorted by the steamers British
Queen of the Inman Line. and the Marcngo of the
Wilson Line, cast anchor off the bar at o'clock
yesterday morning. The strange spectacle of three
| steamers keeping close company about the DAM
| aged Celtic and heading for this port which 80
mystited the officers of the Etrura. related in
yesterdays TRIBUNE. was all explained. The two
| White Star steamers had been in colI;fion
on Thursday about $50 miles east of Sandy Hook,
resulting besides the damage to the steamers in a
loss OF certainly four lives, probably more. serious
injury to many others, and narrow escape from a
calamity of appalling proportions. The heavy fog
IN the lowor bay detained the vessels of the bar all
day and the full extent of the loss of life and the
causes which led to the collision it is feared have
not been ain ed but the main facts are given
herewith.
As nearly as could be verified last night the
names Of those known to be lost are as follows
ROBINSON, KArHERNE-A girl age thirteen, from Lynn,
TREMBERTH, wILLLlM-Trom Morris County N j., on his
way to Durham, England.
-. unknown man, going TO Bristol from Virginia;
slight build, with full gray whiskers
-, unknown boy.
Many of those injured did not need to be sent to
the hospital. Those sent to St. vincents Hospital
were the following:
BURKE PATRIcK-Camo from wilkesbarre; injured In.
ternally and sustained fracture OF the foot and
LAwLoR, wMLIAM-From St Louis, on his way to Ire
RoBISsoS, GEORGE AhTmuR-From Lynn Mass
Among those who did not go to a hospital were
the following:
ALLEN. MARrrS-Had two fingers cut off; his wounds
were dressed by the physician Of the Celtic Dr. Fen
MooSEr RosE-Injured in tho face. back and right leg
by falling rigging. TAKEN by friends to the Miners
WILLIAMS. JAMES, arm broken cared for at the Miners
Arms.
YAUGnN. Mrs-Arm spraned and thumb mashed; suf-
ferng also from shock and exposure.
The Celtic left Queenstown on May 13 with
about 200 passengers on board and the Britain
mic left her pier at West Tenth-st at 1 o'clock on
Wednesday afternoon. with about $50 cabin pas
sengers mostly pleasure seekers and touri sts,
about 800 people III tho steerago and a
miscellaneous cargo Outside the Hook she
encountered fog at intervals. which
increased in density as the afternoon of Thursday
wore on. The vessel was making about sixteen
knots an hour and from all accounts was blowing
her whistle at regular intervals. Toward evening
tho fog broke up into riffs but stil hung at times
thick and heavy on the water. The sea was smooth
as a floor and tho passengers both saloon and cabin
were congratulating themselves tho fact and
had no thought OF danger
THE CELTIC SUDDENLY LOOMS UP IN TIE FOG
The decks were crowded when all at or ce the
hoarse fog whistle Of steamer not their own
sounded close TO the Britannia and almost stimuli
taneous with the whistle the high, sharp bow
OF a steamer. looking gigantic in the mist,
appeared on the port side making almost at right
angles straight for the Britannia. The steamer
was the Celtic and the lookout and officers on
board Of her discovered the Britannia at the same
instant when those on the latter became aware of
the presence of the Celtic. When the sharp PROV
of the Celtic was first noticed looming through the
fog by the people on tho Britannia, she was not
more than four boat-lengths from the latter.
hended Immediately and there were warning shouts
and rushing about Of terrified passengers and dire
confusion on both vessels Once tho danger was
seen the officers Of both ships acted with commend
able courage and to their coolness probably Is duo
the fact that the loss OF life not greater than t
WAS
The bells on tho Celtic were promptly rung. the
engines reversed and her helm put hard a-port
while the signal to go ahead at full speed rang out
from the Britannia. But 1T was all too late. Tho
Celtics motion could not be checked IN
so short space aud she crashed into the Britannia
striking the latter glancing blow on the port side
about six feet abaft of the engne-roon. cutting
great yawning hole in the vessel. then sliding
along toward the stern, ripping of about seventy
five feet of her iron plating, smashing her raj and
shaking down part of the rigging of the Britannia
Three of the lifsboats of the latter
we're smashed by tho impact. Tho bows
of the Celtic were stove in and otherwise she was
much damaged.
PANIC on THE BRITANNIA.
After tho shock of the collision the Britannia was
the of the utmost CONSERVATION ana con-
fusion. Panic reigned all over the ship for few
minutes. Fortunately the officers kept their
heads and the sailors obeyed their orders
with alacrty. A large number OF
steerage passengers had collected on the deck Just
where the vessels came together. lney WaVeu ha's
and handkerchiefs ut first at those on board the
Celtic but when they realized that collision was
imminent and that it death to stay where they
were, the entire crowd, like drove OF frightened
sheep, surged over to the opposite or star
board side of the vessel As always IN
a crush, some weaker than the rest were
unable to get through the crowd to places of safety
and they fell were caught by tho falling rigging,
struck by the fying debris or iammed and crushed
by broken timbers The number or names OF those
killed could not be ascertaned. Those who were
killed were manged frightfuly. One reportlirom
the company is that four lives we're lost-a man
and three wonen-all steerage passengers.
Many of the sieerage passengers prOtest |